Journey To The Past
by Dinkyangel
Summary: Lies were told, and questions left unanswered but now the truth must be revealed, no matter how hard it is to take.
1. Prolouge

Disclaimer: I am J. K. Rowling. Okay, so maybe I'm not, but I'm not making any money for   
writing this so what does it matter?  
A/N: Please bear with me on this one. It's my first real attempt at a fan fic, (no really it is).   
And it's most definitely my first shot at writing about Harry & Co. So any feedback will be   
highly appreciated. Oh and, I chose to give this piece a 'working title' for now as I have no   
idea what to call it.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Prologue  
  
"I'm not quite sure why you called this meeting John", Albus Dumbledore stated abruptly,   
signalling for his guest to take a seat. "You haven't been heard from in years and I'm most   
surprised that after all this time I would be the first person you contacted. As far as anyone   
in the magical world knew you it seemed you had forsaken us and gone into hiding.   
Choosing to live your life as a muggle if I'm correct?"  
  
"Yes, that's correct", John Barton nodded, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Dumbledore   
sat opposite him, and between then was the large wooden desk that dominated the   
headmaster's office.  
"But I have far from forsaken the magical world Albus. I try my best to keep up to date with   
what's going on here, gathering as much information as possible from the few wizards I've   
kept contact with. That's why I'm here in fact, due to something one of them told me just a   
few weeks ago."  
  
He paused and glanced across the desk at Dumbledore. His half moon spectacles caught   
the light making it impossible to read the look in his eyes. John straightened up slightly; his   
back becoming rigid, and then proceeded with caution.  
  
"He said there's been a lot of talk, it started of as speculation but now it seems almost   
certain. People have been saying that Vol- that the dark lord has returned to full strength".   
He stopped and sat staring at Dumbledore awaiting his response. Albus seemed to be in   
deep thought. He stroked his silver beard then pushed his spectacles further up the bridge of   
his long, crooked nose before letting out a long sigh.  
  
"I'm sorry John but if you came here looking for reassurance you aren't going to find any.   
It's true, Voldemort is back". John took a sharp intake of breath and began rubbing his   
temples. He'd half been expecting this but it still came as a shock.  
  
"Well then, Albus", John spoke slowly, "there's something I must tell you". Dumbledore   
lifted a hand to silence the man.  
"Before you start with your confessionals there are questions that need to be answered. So   
much was left unsolved when you disappeared the way you did, John. And now, it needs to   
be resolved. You can start by telling me what happened that day, you can start… by telling   
me what happened to the girl".   
  
John gave a small cough, clearing his throat and quickly nodded his head. This was what   
he'd planned on telling Albus tonight anyway, that's why he was here.  
"You know she was placed in my hands then? The morning of-"  
"Nothing was known for sure John, we thought it was a possibility but then, there were lots   
of possibilities."  
"Yes, well, maybe I should tell the whole story then, right from the start".  
  
"You see, once a house had been selected in which they were to hide, James and Lillian   
began packing there things and preparing to leave but something was wrong with the girl,   
she was sick. No one was quite sure what to do. The girl needed to be seen by a doctor but   
James and Lilly couldn't take her, nor could they call some one out to the house once they   
arrived there. It seemed there was only one solution, they had to leave the girl behind,   
entrust her to some one who could take care of her until things returned to normal. So Lilly   
called upon my wife, as you know, Jeanie and Lilly were the best of friends whilst at school   
together. Jeanie collected the girl just before the left and brought her home. I wasn't happy   
at first but what was I to do?"  
  
"So the girl was never even at the house with James and Lilly?" Dumbledore interrupted   
suddenly.  
"No, it was just James, Lilly and the boy, the girl was with us, Jeanie and I. We took her to   
the doctor who diagnosed a mild case of hypothermia and instructed us to take her to the   
hospital immediately."  
"And you did this?"  
"Yes of course but we had her admitted under the assumed name of Whittaker and claimed   
her to be our child. It saved us the trouble of having to answer awkward questions about her   
parent's whereabouts. We stayed in the hospital for two nights then returned home and   
that's…" he took a long pause to catch his breath and steady his shaking hands as best he   
could.   
  
"That's when we found out what had happened to Lilly and James. As I'm sure you can   
understand we were shocked, horrified even, especially Jeanie, she was beside herself. We   
didn't know what to do. The girl's parents had been murdered and her brother had barely   
escaped with his life. All we could think was if he found us, she'd be next. So that's when   
we decided to run. Of course, we should have handed the girl over to the ministry, or   
delivered her safely to her surviving relatives but we weren't thinking clearly. Jeanie was   
adamant that she was safest with us; she didn't feel it fair to abandon her. So, we gathered   
as many personal belongings as possible and fled, with the girl, to the North of England."  
"We chose a small, scarcely populated, remote village at the foot of a crag named Warton.   
There, we bought a house and set about starting our lives a fresh. We left behind the name   
Barton, instead opting to use Whittaker as a permanent label. I found a job in the next town   
working as an estate agent and eventually set up my own real estate branch in the village,   
while Jeanie stayed at home taking care of "our" daughter. And, that's the way it's been   
ever since".   
  
John stopped talking now and instead chose to examine his hands. Dumbledore didn't   
speak either; he was so astounded that he didn't know quite what to say. Slowly he rose to   
his feet and walked over to a cupboard across the room. He pulled the doors open and   
John looked up briefly to see a pensieve inside.   
Dumbledore placed the tip of his wand against his temple, and then against the rim of the   
basin. This was something John had witnessed many times as his father had kept a pensieve   
too. Albus was siphoning his thoughts.   
  
A moment later the door snapped shut and Dumbledore returned to his seat.  
"So, what your telling me, is that the girl is alive?" he asked with a disbelieving tone.  
"Yes", John replied simply.  
"Do you know how long we searched for her John? How many people were questioned   
and homes raided trying to discover her whereabouts or what had become of her? When no   
trace was found it was assumed, by most, that she was dead. That Voldemort had found   
her, wherever she was, and killed her. And so, the investigations stopped, people simply   
gave up, and nobody has spoken of the girl since. All memories of her have been washed   
away and all remnants of her early existence destroyed. Even the boy has been kept in the   
dark, he knows nothing of his sister at all."  
  
"I'm sorry Albus. We, Jeanie and myself, we never meant to cause any trouble. I don't   
suppose we ever really considered what the consequences would be, if we had, maybe   
we'd have done things differently but we honestly believed we were acting in the girls best   
interests".  
"Yes, I'm sure you did and perhaps you were right, but it's not for me to say."  
John glanced down nervously at the floor. He felt somewhat disappointed. He had hoped,   
that after all these years, finally being able to share this secret would allow him to unburden   
himself of the guilt that went along with it but it hadn't helped.   
  
"Am I to assume that the girl knows nothing of any of this?" Dumbledore asked. It took   
John a few moments to shake himself back to reality.  
"No. No, as far as she's concerned Jeanie and I are her parents. However, she's fully   
aware of what she is. She's known she was a witch since the tender age of five, when she   
blew the next door neighbours bike up because he was trying to run over a cat", John   
couldn't help but smile at the memory. "Ever since then myself and Jeanie have tried our   
best to help her appreciate and harness her powers. We've taught her everything we learnt   
here at Hogwarts and as a result, she's very advanced for her age. She's mastered charms   
and incantations that I could only ever dream of achieving." John now realised that he was   
beginning to sound too much like the overly proud parent and quickly quietened down to let   
Albus speak.  
  
"She must be told John." He said sternly, a solemn expression darkening his features and   
showing his age. "Now's the time."  
"Yes", John agreed numbly. "After a life time built on lies, the least she deserves is to know   
the truth."  
"And then, once you've told her, you are to bring her to me." John jolted in his seat and   
gave Dumbledore a startled look. "I know it will hard, John but it's for the best, surely you   
can see that?"  
"But Albus, you don't understand, I can't just, give her away, I can't just let her go. And   
Jeanie, she wouldn't survive without the girl, she's our whole world Albus, and we are   
hers".  
"Ahh, but she's not is she John, no matter how much you love that child, no matter how well   
you've cared for her over the years the fact still remains that she isn't your daughter John.   
She never was, and never will be. She belongs here, she belongs with her brother."   
Dumbledore gave John a look of deep sympathy. "If you want what's best for her, then you   
know what you must do."  
  
John ran a shaky hand through his hair and clutched his other hand tightly around the arm of   
the chair. He took a deep breath and let it escape in a hollow sigh.  
"If you feel that that's what must be done Albus, if you're sure there's no other way-"  
"No, there's no other way, especially when you take in to account the happenings of late, I   
doubt very much that she'd be safe anywhere else."  
"Very well. I'll tell her tonight, and if all goes well, I should arrive back here tomorrow, with   
the girl".  
  
  
  
  
Okay, I really, really need at least one person to review this and tell me if made sense. 


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own any characters, places, situations, etc taken from the Harry Potter books. No, unfortunately they belong to J. K. Rowling and a whole bunch of publishers. I'm simply borrowing them for a while, okay, I don't exactly have permission but I promise to give them back.  
  
  
  
Chapter One  
  
Jeanie Whittaker, a petite blonde woman in her thirties, frantically paced the living room of her rustic home. As she did so, her eyes darted continuously between the clock on the wall, the open doorway and the grand marble fireplace that dominated the room. A wisp of hair fell down in to her face, she stopped pacing and tugged at it, shoving it back behind her ear with such force that countless strands tore from her scalp and clung to her clammy fingers. She looked down at her hand in disgust. This momentary distraction meant that she didn't see her husband appear suddenly before the fireplace. She was quickly alerted to his presence however when he let out a short sharp sneeze.  
  
"Blasted floo powder", he said irritably, pulling a handkerchief from the breast pocket of his suit on which to blow his nose. "Always gets to my sinuses", he informed, his voice muffled slightly by the cloth at his face.  
Jeanie was standing perfectly still now, staring at her husband with an expression that showed a mixture of expectance, anticipation, and fear, mostly fear.  
  
"So-", she began, pausing briefly to swallow the lump in her throat. "What did he say?"  
Her husband just stared back at her with a blank face. It wasn't that he didn't know how to answer the question, he just didn't want to.  
"John", she said imploringly, taking a step towards him. "John, what did he say? What's-what's been decided?"  
Again, her husband failed to answer. He simply lowered his gaze to the floor and slowly shook his head.  
"No", Jeanie gasped, throwing a hand over her mouth. In spite of her husband's silence she could read his reactions, and knew the news wasn't good.  
"It's time", John croaked, his voice immensely strained.  
"No, no, there's-there's been some kind of mistake, this can't be happening, it just can't!" Jeanie wailed, desperately trying to bat away the tears that brimmed in her eyes.  
"No dear, no mistake has been made. It's happening, he's back, the dark lord has risen once more."  
  
Jeanie felt her legs buckle beneath her but made no attempt to hold herself up. She collapsed onto her knees.  
"They can't take her away from us, John, they can't. I won't let them!" John lowered his deep brown eyes to look at his wife. He ran a large hand threw his thinning hair and sigh inwardly.   
"We always knew this day would come Jeanie and we've said all along that we wouldn't stand in the way when it did. We can't go back on our word."  
"But-but now? Why now? Not now John, she's too young, it isn't fair!"  
"Isn't fair on who Jeanie? The girl, or you?"  
  
Jeanie snapped her head up to meet her husbands gaze, a look of astonishment on her face.  
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, shaking violently as she slowly forced herself back onto her feet.  
"Look", John began, placing a reassuring hand on his wife's shoulder, which she quickly shrugged away. "Who are we to say what's fair, what's right? Was it right for us to take a child that wasn't ours? Was it fair to James and Lilly?" Once again he placed his hand on Jeanie's shoulder, this time she let it rest there. "I want the girl here as much as you. I wish there was a way for us to go back to the way things were, us the happy couple and she our beloved daughter but we can't pretend any longer Jeanie. We can't continue to hide the truth."  
  
"What are you saying John?"  
"She has to know Jeanie, she has to be told, she isn't our daughter. It's the best thing we can do for her, she's been kept in the dark for too long and now, she deserves to know that truth."  
"No, it would destroy her! You can't do this to her!"  
"I can't not do it. For god's sake women she isn't safe here, this isn't where she belongs!"  
"There-there has to be... I mean, they can't, WE can't..."  
"We have to Jeanie. We have to tell her, and then... we're to deliver her into the hands of Albus Dumbledore. He must watch over her now, we've done all we can for her."  
  
Jeanie didn't speak again; she simply slipped back down to the floor, tears falling freely now. While her husband tried his hardest to comfort her without giving in to the wave of sadness and heart ache that swept over him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
This was the scene that had greeted Lani Whittaker when she'd returned home that night.  
  
Unbeknownst to her parents she'd been standing in the doorway the whole time, watching and listening intently. She had, of course, been hidden, beneath the invisibility cloak she'd obtained just two hours prior, by playing the winning hand in a game of White witch poker. Now, as she sat on her bed staring at the cloak, which lay discarded on the floor, she wished she'd never laid eyes on the thing. Maybe then she wouldn't have witnessed what she had.  
  
It had been at least half an hour since she'd scurried away from the living room. No longer able to bear the sounds of her mother's wails and sobs, she'd chosen to hole herself away in her room to clear her head and try to think straight. She must have heard them wrong, she must have! Of course she knew that wasn't true. She'd heard every word perfectly, and still could, as the voices echoed relentlessly in her head.  
  
She'd thought about crying, she'd felt like screaming, she'd needed to storm into that room and confront her parents but for whatever reasons, she'd found these things impossible to do. She'd become completely numb, redundant even. Right now, all she could do was sit here on her bed and wait ...  
  
Wait for what? She asked herself but hadn't yet found an answer. The truth was that she didn't know what to expect. Would her father stroll calmly into the room and tell her that they needed to talk? Would her mother Would her mother burst through the door, dive at the bed and throw her arms around Lani, refusing to let her go. And what about Albus Dumbledore, would he factor into this somehow? Perhaps he'd apperate in front of her and steal her away into the night.  
  
After another ten minutes or so had past she grew tired of listing the possibilities in her mind. She didn't know what came next and she wasn't sure if she even cared. Her head was pounding under the pressure of too much heavy thought and her body began to ache due to the tension that ran through her.  
Her eyelids gave a sudden flutter and a long over due yawn escaped her lips. Without even realising it she slowly sank down onto the bed so that she was lying on her side. Another yawn came and this time her eyelids didn't just flutter they practically slammed shut. A surge of exhaustion rose from inside of her, quickly claiming her, and allowing for sleep to drift in.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"We can't wake her", Jeanie breathed almost silently as she and her husband crept into Lani's room moments later. "Please John, let her sleep."  
"Yes, I think that's a good idea as I suspect this may be the last night of peaceful sleep she gets in a long while. I t can wait till morning", he said solemnly, shooing his wife back out the door, "we'll do it in the morning." 


End file.
